Top 10 College Majors For Women

Business is the No. 1 college major for women and men, according to a recent AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women) analysis of the Department of Education's "Condition of Education 2009" report, the most recent data available. Business degrees now comprise 18% of all degrees awarded to women, nearly twice as much as the No. 2 most popular major, health professions and clinical sciences.

But despite more women moving into this field of study, there is a continuing gender imbalance in the majority of undergraduate college majors. Engineering and computer science remain overwhelmingly male (No. 3 and 4, respectively for men) while women continue to dominate "soft" majors such as education, psychology and English (No. 3, 5 and 9, respectively).

"Research has shown that women tend to gravitate towards fields of studies and career paths where they can have a positive social impact and work with others, often collaboratively," says Linda Basch, president of the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW). "This is why you see so many women in the fields of health care and education. When women do gravitate toward the sciences, it is usually the life sciences."

The surprise, then, is No. 8 on the list, biological and biomedical sciences, the only female undergraduate top 10 "hard" science. "Studies have found that boys and girls have different approaches to pursuing science," continues Basch. "Boys and young men often pursue science for science's sake, whereas girls and young women tend to view science as a tool for some other purpose, often attached to the social good."

It's no surprise, then, that Nos. 5 to 7 on the list are psychology, visual and performing arts and communications, respectively. With these majors, common career paths include sales, counseling and teaching.

There is no clear gender split in the social sciences and history, with a nearly equal division of degrees awarded to both men and women; it is the No. 4 choice for women and No. 2 for men.

Women who study business believe it will give them a practical edge, says Judy Touchton, founder and CEO of Womenleadersmove.com, a consultancy for women in higher education. "Women are choosing business majors because they, often guided by their parents, think they will be more likely to find jobs after college ... In this economy, practicality reigns."

Still, a business degree does not insure against the income gap. A woman one year out of college and working full time typically earns only 80% as much as her male counterparts. Why? According to the AAUW's 2007 "Behind the Pay Gap" report, women with business degrees are twice as likely as men with similar degrees to enter administrative, clerical or support positions earlier in their career. On the other hand, men with a business degree are more likely to enter management positions.

Even women with MBAs quickly fall behind: On average, women are paid $4,600 less than men in their first jobs out of business school, according to a new report from the research and consulting firm Catalyst; these women do not catch up in terms of pay and advancement for the duration of their careers.

Notably, even female undergrads who go into women-dominated fields, like education, earn 95% of what a male would earn, according to the AAUW. In fact, many industry experts say pursuing majors that are not perceived as female-friendly may be advantageous in the job hunt.

"Because there is such a dearth of women with technical qualifications, when it's time to negotiate salaries and benefits, women with skills in science and technology may be able to tailor their jobs to have a better work-balance than in more traditional women's careers," says Catherine Didion, executive director of the Committee for Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine of the National Academies.

But with a highly competitive job market for both men and women, it has become increasingly necessary to develop skills that are tailored to careers. "We do have a high interest from recruiters who are looking for women who have studied the harder sciences, but there are not enough women to fill these roles," says Lisa MacKenzie, marketing director of Careerwomen.com, an online job board for women.

"Instead, I'm seeing a lot of women with female-dominated majors like social sciences and liberal arts going into sales careers," says MacKenzie, noting that there's been an uptick in job postings for financial, technology and automotive sales positions on her site. An irony, if that's the surest route into the hold-out male-dominated fields.